'Snoop Dogg' faces gun, drug accusation

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BURBANK, California (CNN) -- Rap artist "Snoop Dogg" was arrested and booked for being a felon in possession of a firearm and transportation of a controlled substance at a California airport Thursday, according to the Burbank Police Department.

The 35-year-old rapper -- whose real name is Calvin Broadus -- was arrested by airport police at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, at about 4 p.m. (7 p.m. ET). He was parked in a passenger loading and unloading zone and was initially approached by an officer for a traffic violation, Burbank police said.

"An investigation revealed Calvin Broadus to be in possession of marijuana and a firearm," a police statement said.

He was arrested and taken to the Burbank Police Department Jail, where he was later booked, police said.

Snoop Dogg posted bail of $35,000 and was released. He is scheduled to appear at the Burbank Superior Court on December 12, said his publicist, Meredith O'Sullivan.

"There was no basis for this arrest," said the rapper's lawyer, Donald Etra. "We believe that once this is cleared up, all charges will be dismissed."

Snoop Dog, who has sold over 17 million records and acted in movies including "Starsky & Hutch," "Old School," "Training Day" and "Bones," has had several other run-ins with the law.

He was convicted on a felony narcotics possession charge in 1990, for trying to sell cocaine.

Six months ago he and several members of his entourage were detained by police at London's Heathrow Airport after a skirmish that left seven police officers with minor injuries.

The incident happened after Snoop Dogg and his crew were told by the airline that they would not be permitted to board a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, Scotland Yard said

As police tried to direct the group to baggage reclaim, they became "abusive and pushed officers," according to Scotland Yard. The seven police officers received minor injuries, including cuts and bruises, and one suffered a fractured hand.

While in England for his 1994 "Doggystyle" tour, he was nearly kicked out of the country after a Tory minister and several British tabloids raised objections to his presence while he faced charges in the United States for murder, of which he was later cleared.